Page 63 of Friend
But then, at some point after pulling into her parent’s driveway, I realized I’d looked forward to it a little bit. I was almost ready to admit—even if only to myself—that this hadn’t been entirely horrible.
None of it would matter if Bianca didn’t feel the same. This was about her.
She glanced at me, and the not-so-faraway light reflected in her green eyes. My doubt fled and my heart began to beat faster.
I’d misinterpreted her expression entirely. She wasn’t sad or upset at all—she wascontent.When was the last time I’d ever seen her be completely at peace?
I wasn’t even sure.
“It was amazing,” she said. “It was perfect.”
My face grew hot and, suddenly, it was hard to look her in the eyes. I glanced at my feet, fighting to keep my breath even. “What was so great about it?” I muttered.
I didn’t get it. We walked into a room and grabbed food.
“It was like a fairytale,” she continued, unperturbed by my silence. “The lights, the way everything was set up, dressing up, feeling like I was going on a real date.”
My face burned even more.
“You didn’t get to dance,” I pointed out.
“Y-yeah…” She was slightly hesitant in her reply, and I glanced at her finally, noting that she was biting her bottom lip in contemplation. My throat began to close as I realized the error in my statement—I’d given her the perfect opportunity to say that shewantedto. And in any romance movie thing she’d watched, the male would lead the female in some slow waltz under the moonlight.
I was so not ready for that.
“But that’s okay,” she said, looking back to the moon. “It’s everything I wanted, for now.”
But it wasn’t anything much at all. Anyone else would have expected a limo, a fancy dinner, anddefinitelydancing and romance.
For her to be content with just this… It was almost sad.
“Here.” I held the plate we’d snagged out to her. And because I really wanted to know, “Are you glad you came with me instead of Cory?”
At least Cory would have been able to stay. Then again, Bianca still would not have been.
Bianca shook her head, hair falling over her shoulders. She clasped her hands in front of her and leaned forward. “Frenemies really shouldn’t get the privilege of the first dance date.”
“Frenemies?” Now this I had to hear. “I thought you and Cory were buddies…” I began, but my confidence wavered at the sudden darkening of her expression. “Acquaintances?”
“We are enemies with a mutual understanding.” She crossed her arms, nodding once.
Enemies? I thought back to Cory’s determined expression, and the almost hurt way he’d looked at her. The way he’d boldly declared that she was going to be his future wife.
I was beginning to think that he didn’t see Bianca as an enemy anymore.
Whatever it was, I was sure we’d seen the last of his antics. At least, for a while.
But if she wanted to believe they were ‘frenemies,’ “Sure.” There was no use arguing with her.
“There’s only one thing that could have made this night even more magical.” She sighed, still looking up at the sky. I stared at her, an uncertain sort of wariness filling me at the barely restrained longing on her face.
“What’s that?” Maybe there was something I could do.
Her cheeks turned even darker, and she wouldn’t look at me. “It’s embarrassing.”
I really hoped it wasn’t anything mushy. “Just tell me.”
“Well…” She looked down, touching the petals of her corsage, and in her soft, musical voice she continued, “In every movie there’s always a scene where some guy pushes another guy, and they get into a fist fight. That would probably complete the experience.”
